Kantor Plant Parasitic Nematodes Lab
The goal of the Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Lab is to apply an integrated approach to the identification and classification of plant-parasitic nematodes of importance to Pennsylvania crops.
The main goal of the lab is to provide nematode identification of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) from soil samples as well as plant parts (roots, stems, leaves). We are using integrated methods for identifying PPNs, which combine morphological and molecular techniques. We are also focusing on development of rapid assays that could be used for identification of plant-parasitic nematodes.
News
October 30, 2023
A new pathogen threatens to wipe out yet another native tree
The BLD damage might be easy to spot, but you can’t easily see the worms, a type of nematode named Litylenchus crenatae mccannii. Nonetheless, in six to 10 years, the nematodes can kill a tree. Since it was first discovered in Ohio in 2012, the disease has spread into neighboring states and New England. It’s now found in every county in Pennsylvania, according to Penn State University nematologist Mihail Kantor.
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August 6, 2023
Forget the lantern fly. A mysterious new pest has scientists sounding the alarm.
The spotted lantern fly has dominated public attention in the United States, with local and federal government agencies mobilizing campaigns to, literally, stamp out the brightly colored bugs. But a different pest is killing trees and confounding scientists, and it has received precious little attention. Beech leaf disease has quietly raced across the country infecting a particular species of trees critical to forest ecosystems, the American beech. The mysterious condition has been shown to be caused by a newly discovered subspecies of nematodes, or microscopic worms.
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June 23, 2023
Penn State researchers study beech leaf disease in PA
Beech leaf disease is affecting trees in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest.
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December 7, 2022
Nematologist discovers four new species of plant-parasitic nematodes during fellowship
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